Fixing the Issue
by Lizard Pie
Summary: Sequel to The Socialization Issue. Faust VII arranges a meeting for Johann and Eliza. Most likely a one shot.


AN: This is a continuation of The Socialization Issue. Not so much because it was very well recieved, but because there were a few lines going through my head. There is maybe a chance -maybe- that this may continue. I'd really, really have to get the motivation.

Mutti: an informal way to say mother

"Now don't get me wrong," Faust VII said casually, sipping his coffee, "It's a very nice neighborhood. The only problem is that there are so few children."

"You have children?" the man he now knew as Coen asked, placing his cup back on the saucer.

Internally Faust smirked; however, externally he simply nodded, "A son. It's been such a shame he didn't have anyone close to his age within walking distance."

"Oh, that cute little boy is yours?" Annelise asked, notably perking, "I should have known, he looks so much like you…"

Faust gave a half-smile of practiced mock-embarrassment and a nod, "You've seen Johann, then?"

"He walks past the house for school everyday," she said brightly, "It's all Eliza talks about."

Faust glanced over to where the girl was listening from the stairs. When he nodded to her, she blushed and ran back up.

So, she was an eavesdropper. A definite check against her.

"I was thinking we could perhaps set up a meeting," Faust said, turning his attention back to the couple, "Let them get to know each other."

The looked at each other before nodding, "That would be nice –Eliza could use a friend or two close by. Would he be free this afternoon?"

Internally, Faust was practically dancing. It was always wonderful when a plan came together so easily. He simply smiled and placed the cup and saucer back on the table. "Yes, how does 4:00 sound?"

!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!

When he arrived back home, Johann was out in the garden –curled up in a lawn chair and reading something definitely not for school. He didn't even bother to look up as Faust slipped outside.

"Is your homework finished?" he asked flatly, looking over the book.

"Yes, papa," Johann told him obediently, turning a page.

"It's on my desk to be checked?"

"Mutti already did it," he answered, eyes darting up for a second, "She said it was right."

Faust tightened a corner of his mouth, but decided not to press the issue. "There's someone coming over to see you in an hour. I want you to wash up."

Johann paused and bit his lip, slowly looking up. "Who?"

"The girl who just moved in a few houses down," Faust told him.

He hadn't been expecting his son's face to flush –at least, not so deeply.

"Is something wrong?" Faust asked, raising his brow.

Johann looked away with a hesitant shrug, "I dunno…"

"Well then, go get in the shower." He turned and walked back into the house, then sighed irritably when he found he was alone. With a frown, Faust stuck his head back out the door. "I'm not asking, Johann."

His son slunk down a bit further before slowly leaving the chair and shuffling over.

"Do I really have to?" he asked softly, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor.

Faust frowned and placed a firm hand on Johann's shoulder as he bent down to look him in the eye, "If you would do these sorts of things by yourself, then you wouldn't." He looked at the clock, "You have forty-five minutes. Go."

Johann sighed, but obediently trudged to the bathroom.

Faust watched his son until he slipped behind a door before shaking his head. Johann was… a very odd child.

As soon as he heard the shower start, he head off to double-check that homework. It wasn't that he didn't trust his wife, but he just wouldn't feel comfortable until he got a look.

!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!i!

"Mutti, you don't have to…" Johann grumbled, trying to squirm away as she continued to run the brush through his hair.

"You need to look right," Henrietta told him, making sweeps to get the unruly bangs out of his eyes, "First impressions are very important."

He looked to where Faust stood in the doorway for help, but only received the smallest shake of the head.

"Listen to your mother, Joha…" He looked over his shoulder as the doorbell rang. "She's here."

Johann tensed and shrank closer to Henrietta. She gave him a look before straightening his back and leading him toward his father.

Faust looked to his son to make sure he was really following as he made his way to the door and opened it to reveal Eliza and Annelise standing on the front step, smiling politely.

Johann blushed and took a step back to hide behind his father. This, Faust decided, must have been what the teacher was talking about.

"Why don't you take Eliza back to the garden," Faust told him, looking down, "And get to know each other."

Johann nodded slowly before motioning with his head for her to follow him. Eliza gave her mother an awkward look, but trailed him outside.

"Hi, I'm Eliza," she said after he shut the door, putting her hand out, "It's nice to finally meet you."

He kept his eyes on the floor as he hesitantly shook it before pulling his hand back.

"What's your name?" she asked, lowering her head to get in his line of view.

He looked away and blushed further, still saying nothing.

"Do you have one?" She waited for a response before tightening a corner of her mouth. "Don't you talk?" Eliza asked, moving again to get back in sight.

He shrugged, trying to sink even more into himself.

Eliza frowned before sighing, "Well, fine then. If you won't talk to me, I'll just talk to you."

Johann blinked, not exactly sure what to do. Most people left him alone by this point.

Eliza pulled Johann to sit in a lawn chair beside hers. He looked her over nervously as she beamed at him.

"Well," she said brightly, "This morning I woke up at seven, but decided it was too early so I went back to sleep until eight thirty. I had some toast with jam this morning –but it wasn't the grape kind I like. I think it was apricot or something. Definitely orange, though.

"Papa and I went over my lessons for about an hour until yours came over. They sent me away, but I just sat on the stairs because I wanted to know who this guy was. They talked about us moving into the area for a long time before he started looking at me.

"Does he do that lifty-eyebrow, death-stare thing to you, too? It's kinda creepy, so I ran away before I heard all of it. They were talking about you, if you're Johann, though. Nothing big, but they started.

"Anyway, after he left we did some math problems -multiplication tables and division and stuff. Do you do that yet? I dunno; you look kinda young…" She paused to catch her breath and look him over.

His head was turned to his feet, but he was definitely watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"You know, if you'd say something, I could be more interesting," she told him.

Johann shrugged and barely whispered, "I don't mind, really."

She blanked before a smile spread across her face. "Ha!" Eliza said triumphantly, pointing at him, "You can talk!"

He blushed more than ever and shook his head desprately.

"Too late," she grinned, "I heard you! Now you _have_ to say stuff!"

He looked away, mouth pulled tight as if he wasn't exactly sure how this had happened to him.

"So… you're Johann?" she asked, leaning in a little closer.

He just barely nodded as he turned his gaze back down, "Yeah…"

"Are you always like this, or is it just for me?" she said with a small laugh.

He shrugged a bit, shrinking down, "I dunno…"

Eliza's mouth twitched up awkwardly as he continued to fight her. "Well, why?"

"Why what?" he asked, looking at her from the corner of his eye.

"Why don't you talk to people? Are you just shy, or…"

His gaze shifted and stuck to the corner of the garden, "People just… I just, um…"

"People what? I'm not gonna tell anybody…"

He bit his lip, but shook his head, "No… I-it doesn't matter."

There was a lot more that he wasn't telling –he wasn't even trying to mask it. Or, maybe he was and he was just very bad at it.

But, at the moment, it didn't have to matter.

"I… um… I got these new coloring books the other day," he finally said softly, fingers playing with the hem of his sweater, "You maybe wanna…?"

Eliza smiled, "Yeah."

He turned to her, mouth twitching up for a moment as he slipped out of the chair and led her to his room.


End file.
